Description
During a historical speech on 5th of June 2024 in New York, Secretary-General of the UN António Guterres called upon countries to ban fossil fuel advertising, ad companies to drop fossil fuel clients and media to stop taking fossil fuel ads. He stated:
'Dear friends,
Many in the fossil fuel industry have shamelessly greenwashed, even as they have sought to delay climate action – with lobbying, legal threats, and massive ad campaigns. They have been aided and abetted by advertising and PR companies – Mad Men fuelling the madness. I call on these companies to stop acting as enablers to planetary destruction. Stop taking on new fossil fuel clients, from today, and set out plans to drop your existing ones. Fossil fuels are not only poisoning our planet – they’re toxic for your brand. Your sector is full of creative minds who are already mobilising around this cause. They are gravitating towards companies that are fighting for our planet – not trashing it. I also call on countries to act. Many governments restrict or prohibit advertising for products that harm human health – like tobacco. Some are now doing the same with fossil fuels. I urge every country to ban advertising from fossil fuel companies. And I urge news media and tech companies to stop taking fossil fuel advertising.'
It is the first time a world leader calls for a fossil ad ban. In a speech in 2022 Guterres already called out the enablers of the fossil fuel industry including PR companies.
